<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>Friends Don't by anakindidnothingwrong</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24112663">Friends Don't</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/anakindidnothingwrong/pseuds/anakindidnothingwrong'>anakindidnothingwrong</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Criminal Minds (US TV)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>M/M</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-05-10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-05-10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-03 01:21:08</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,738</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24112663</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/anakindidnothingwrong/pseuds/anakindidnothingwrong</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Friends don't flirt with each other the way Morgan and Reid do.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Derek Morgan/Spencer Reid</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>363</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Friends Don't</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Smoke stings his eyes. The team had just entered the abandoned warehouse where the unsub was taking his victims to burn them. Reid and JJ were the first ones to find the unsub and his current victim, Jessica McKinley. Her body was already in the process of burning and she was screaming out in agony. </p>
<p>“Guys, they’re upstairs. We need a medic!” Reid said to the team on their comms.</p>
<p>The team apprehended the unsub and the paramedics told Reid that Jessica would most likely not survive. She died on the way to the hospital. It was days like this that made Reid doubt if they were actually making a difference. </p>
<p>Morgan noticed Reid was sitting pensively on the couch in the jet. He knew that Reid could be overwhelmed by all the sadness that this job, unfortunately, came with, he waited for a lull in his conversation with Rossi and Prentiss to sneak away. </p>
<p>“Hey, pretty boy. What’s on your mind?” Morgan took a seat next to him on the couch. Reid made no move to respond, lost in his thoughts. </p>
<p>“Reid? Did you hear me?” Morgan lightly cupped his shoulder with his hand. This action shook Spencer out of his thoughts. He turned toward the source of warmth on his shoulder and made eye contact with Morgan. </p>
<p>“What?”</p>
<p>“I asked what was on your mind, kid. You okay?”</p>
<p>“Yeah, I’m fine, just… thinking.” Reid put his hand up to his chin, index finger resting against his lips. He broke eye contact with Morgan to look out the window across from them. </p>
<p>Reid and Morgan spent the rest of the flight back to Quantico in silence. The team grabbed all their bags and headed into the FBI building. They were greeted by Garcia giving them all welcome home hugs. Since their arrival was late in the evening, Rossi, Prentiss, and Garcia left soon after. JJ and Hotch were in their respective offices doing paperwork, which left only Reid and Morgan in the bullpen. </p>
<p>Morgan kept glancing up at Reid, who was making no move to do any work. When Morgan had finished his reports, and a few extra to lessen Hotch’s burden, Reid was still in the same position. </p>
<p>“Reid, you’ve been staring at the same place on your desk for over an hour. Is something bothering you?” </p>
<p>“Did you know that staring spells sometimes can signal an absence seizure? Once known as petit-mal or “little sickness” seizures, absence seizures most commonly affect children between ages 4 and 14, but older kids and even adults can occasionally have them. They are caused by a temporary spark of abnormal electrical activity in the brain.” </p>
<p>“That doesn’t answer my question, kid.” Morgan looked fixedly at Reid, waiting for his reply. </p>
<p>Reid ultimately broke the silence, meeting Derek’s gazing eyes.</p>
<p>“He burned 14 women alive before we caught him. It will never end, there will always be a new unsub.”</p>
<p>“And there will always be people like us to catch them.”</p>
<p>“Sometimes I wonder what would’ve happened if I quit the academy with Ethan.” </p>
<p>“I know exactly what would’ve happened.” He said it so confidently, Reid furrowed his brow and pursed his lip. </p>
<p>“And what is that exactly?” Reid repositioned his legs, so he was sitting with his legs crossed in front of him on the desk chair. </p>
<p>“You would be a world-renowned pianist, but there would still be hundreds of serial killers out there because the BAU would be without their boy genius.” Morgan began to pack up his things and put them in his duffel bag. </p>
<p>Reid thought for a moment about what Morgan said, but it didn’t sound right. </p>
<p>“You guys would’ve solved the cases without me.”</p>
<p>“You don’t get it, do you?” Morgan chuckled and continued.</p>
<p>“You know the majority of our cases are solved because of you, right? Without that beautiful brain of yours, we wouldn’t be able to see cases from a different perspective that helps us find that little piece of info to catch the unsub.” </p>
<p>Morgan stood up, grabbing his bag, and motioned for Reid to follow him. </p>
<p>“Yeah, there are definitely bad days when the unsub will get away or where we can’t save everyone, but the world is a better place because of you, Spencer.” They walked side by side to the elevator and Morgan ruffled Reid’s hair when he said his name. </p>
<p>Reid loved when anyone touched his hair. The way his head tingled due to the specialized sensory neurons located at the base of the hair follicles. When Morgan did it, though, it was a whole different experience. </p>
<p>Everything with Morgan was different, the lingering touches and stolen glances at each other during cases. Of course, Morgan was his best friend, but sometimes he thought they did things that friends don’t do. Morgan is a flirtatious person, everyone knew that, but to this day, Reid had never seen him flirt with another man as he did with Reid. It confused him to no end. Sometimes he wondered if Morgan knew he was bisexual and if this was his way of teasing him about it. Reid was pulled out of his thoughts by a ding from the elevator indicating the door was about to open.</p>
<p>“Dinner?” Morgan asked as he watched the doctor enter the elevator after him. </p>
<p>“Yeah.” Reid nodded.</p>
<p>They both walked to Morgan’s car in comfortable silence. They arrived at a small diner that was close to both Derek and Spencer’s homes and was luckily still open so late at night.</p>
<p>They chatted about the case that was just wrapped up briefly before ordering their food. Once the waitress left with their order, Reid had started rambling about how the entire world’s population could fit inside Los Angeles. Morgan loved listening to his pretty boy talk, he could listen for hours to him talking about absolutely nothing. </p>
<p>The conversation they had back at the office was still fresh on his mind, though. Hearing Spencer talk about how unsure he was about this job was concerning. Yes, everyone on the team at some point has had doubts about whether it’s really meant for them, but with Spencer it was different. It wasn’t just about the toll this job could take on someone, it was the fact that he didn’t realize how valuable he was to the team. Morgan was always amazed at how Reid could solve the case with the smallest details. Everyone on the team knew he was a genius, but sometimes he forgot how much they took him for granted. The BAU wouldn’t be the same without Reid, he just hoped the man knew how much he meant to them. How much he meant to Morgan. </p>
<p>Morgan has been obsessed with this boy since the day they met. Everything about the doctor drove him crazy. He gave up on the idea of being with him years ago; his endless attempts at flirting with his best friend were futile. </p>
<p>He brought his attention back into the story the man across from him was telling as the waitress set down their food. </p>
<p>“Thank you.” Derek smiled up at the attractive waitress. </p>
<p>“You’re welcome, honey.” She winked at him before walking away.</p>
<p>“I don’t get it,” Reid said, cutting up his pancakes.</p>
<p>“You don’t get what?”</p>
<p>“How you can just flirt with everyone all the time.” Morgan almost choked on his burger. </p>
<p>“Excuse me? I do not flirt with everyone.” </p>
<p>“Actually, you do. You flirt with Garcia and me all the time at work, and outside of work, everyone is a victim to your advances.” </p>
<p>“You think so? I guess flirting is just in my nature.” Morgan laughed to ease the tension. The conversation then switched to something else as Reid remembered an interesting thing he recently read in a book. </p>
<p>The rest of dinner went by pretty quickly and soon Morgan found himself driving Reid back to his apartment. The drive went by almost entirely in silence, which was not unusual for them. They were comfortable just being in the presence of the other. The silence, however, was broken when Reid asked a question.</p>
<p>“Can I ask you something?” He bit his lip anxiously waiting for Derek’s reply.</p>
<p>Morgan glanced over at Reid and noticed how nervous he looked. Morgan started to become worried.</p>
<p>“Anything. What’s up?”</p>
<p>Reid opened and closed his mouth several times, trying to figure out the right words to say. He cleared his throat and finally forced them out.</p>
<p>“I was just thinking about what I said back at the diner, about your flirting. In all the years I’ve known you, you have never flirted with another man. That is, besides me. I’ve been trying to rationalize it in my head for a while actually, but none of it makes sense.” Reid exhaled sharply. </p>
<p>Morgan arrived at Reid’s apartment, his mind racing. He slowly parked the car and turned to look at Reid. He was looking down at his hands and fiddling with his fingers. Reid hesitantly lifted his head to meet Morgan’s gaze before continuing. </p>
<p>“In fact, there’s a lot about our friendship that doesn’t make sense to me. From my experience, friends don’t flirt with each other like we do.”</p>
<p>Morgan knew where this conversation was heading and he didn’t know if he was ready for it. He didn’t have a choice, though. </p>
<p>“What does it mean then?” Morgan decided that letting Reid lead the conversation would be easier. What he didn’t expect, though, was the change in Reid’s demeanor. Reid licked his lips gently and moved ever so slightly closer to Morgan.  </p>
<p>“Well, actually, there is one explanation that makes perfect sense.” He smirked at Morgan. Morgan swallowed nervously. </p>
<p>“And that is…?” </p>
<p>Reid brought his hands up to cup Morgan’s face and darted forward, connecting their lips. At first, Morgan was frozen, he had not expected that this was how his night would end. He had imagined kissing Reid several times and in all his imaginations, he was the one who initiated the kiss. Morgan slowly kissed Reid back, his hands finding a place in Reid’s hair. </p>
<p>The kiss ended shortly by Reid pulling back and smiling at Morgan.<br/>“I guess my hypothesis was correct.” Reid grinned before kissing Morgan again quickly. </p>
<p>“You know for a genius it sure took you a while to realize it.” Morgan laughed as he watched Reid exit his car and walk towards his apartment.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>this was just an idea i came up with at 3 am. for my creative writing class i had to start a story with the sentence 'smoke stings his/her eyes' and then moreid happened. the idea also came loosely from the song friends don't by maddie &amp; tay. i hope you enjoyed it!</p></blockquote></div></div>
</body>
</html>